This invention relates to improved toy construction elements and to assemblies fabricated with such elements.
A wide variety of construction element or building block systems have been developed over the years. A number of such systems provide generally solid, right rectangular blocks defining a plurality of circular holes and/or grooves for receiving connecting rods. Such systems are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,308,254, 2,482,402 and 2,493,435. Other systems provide generally solid, right rectangular blocks with a plurality of holes or apertures therein for receiving, in compressive engagement, connecting dowel pins which may be made of resilient material and/or have longitudinally extending grooves to allow flexing of a portion of the dowel pin which is inserted into the block aperture. Systems such as these are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,142,471; 1,216,840; 2,093,341; 2,100,658; 2,225,612; 2,320,292; 2,709,318; 3,603,026; 3,672,681; and British Pat. No. 214,821. Another system, using generally solid, cylindrical elements is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,662,335.
The inventor of the present invention has been issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,858. The patent discloses improved, solid fabricating members having a plurality of bores for receiving connecting rods.
The French Pat. No. 1,246,185 and the U.S. Pat. No. 3,360,883 disclose construction elements having elongated slots with intercepting bores for grippingly receiving complimentary members.
Generally solid construction blocks, such as those disclosed in the above-discussed patents, inherently suffer from a number of disadvantages. First, a solid block requires more material than a hollow block. Thus, the material cost for a solid block is greater than the material cost for a non-solid or hollow block. Second, a solid block, if molded from a thermoplastic material, requires a longer cooling or setting time during manufacture compared to a thin walled hollow block. With a shorter setting time for a hollow block, production rates can be increased. This results in less cost per unit produced owing to the decrease in chargeable molding time. Third, a solid block is obviously heavier than a hollow block of the same size. When solid blocks are used for large constructions involving relatively great heights or span lengths, this additional weight is disadvantageous in that it can cause a tipping or sagging of the structure or even a loosening of the particular connecting means joining the blocks. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a non-solid or substantially hollow construction element or block which would not have such disadvantages.
It would be beneficial to provide substantially plate-like or flat construction elements which could be assembled to form three-dimensional structural elements or blocks. This would have a number of advantages. First, packaging and shipping costs would be reduced since the package could be made considerably smaller owing to the fact that the entire toy construction kit could be shipped with the basic building blocks disassembled as separate flat members. Second, use of individual flat members to construct three-dimensional building blocks would allow the blocks to be made of various sizes. This is something that is not possible with building block assemblies of the type disclosed in the above-listed patents where the basic building block is of a predetermined size. Third, the various flat structural members could be of different colors thereby allowing the construction of three-dimensional structural building blocks having sides of different colors.
It would be helpful, in providing a toy construction kit wherein basic building blocks are formed from flat structural members, to incorporate a tongue and groove design which would automatically align the separate flat members in an appropriate orientation for forming the three-dimensional composite structural member or building block.